Introduction:

Single-use items and packaging – plastic or otherwise – threaten our natural environment. These items take up valuable landfill space, pose harm to wildlife, pollute the environment, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Phasing out single-use items and packaging is an important step to help reduce waste and protect our environment. This also aligns with Council's Circular Economy Action Plan 2024-2027 priority areas of avoiding waste, maximising reuse and creating systems change.

We have now created the draft Single-Use Items and Packaging Policy. The scope has been expanded to include all Council sites (not just events and markets), we have increased the items to be phased out and aligned the policy with current State Government legislation. This will help reduce single-use items and packaging across our shire.

We want to:

Gather your feedback on the draft Single-Use Items and Packaging Policy. If adopted by Council, this will replace the 2021 Plastic Wise Policy.

The draft policy has been expanded to apply to:

• all Council facilities
• all events run by Council; and
• all events, markets and organised sporting activities held at Council owned and managed sites.

It would apply to any individual, club/group or business using a Council facility in a way that requires approval (via an event permit, hire agreement, booking, lease or tenancy agreement).

This would include:

• Sporting clubs who are tenants of Council facilities;
• Families or individuals hiring Council facilities for a party or event;
• Organisers hosting events and markets on Council land; and
• Businesses running conferences or workshops in Council facilities.

The draft policy would not apply to informal community use where approval is not required (e.g. using parks, visiting a library).

As outlined in the draft policy, specific single-use items will not be permitted on Council owned and managed land.

Category 1 items are already banned by the Victorian Government and the Environment Protection Authority, and therefore should already be restricted from sale or supply. This includes conventional, degradable and compostable plastics.
These include:

• Lightweight plastic shopping bags
• Single-use plastic straws, cutlery, plates and drink stirrers
• Expanded polystyrene food service items such as plates, cups, bowls, drink containers, ‘clam shells’ and other covers or lids
• Cotton bud sticks

Category 2 items would need to be phased out over the next five years by 2030.
These include:

• All plastic bags
• All single-use straws
• All single use plates and cutlery
• Takeaway coffee cups and lids
• Single-use bottled water (unless other access to drinking water is unable to be provided)
• Takeaway food containers
• Single-serve condiments and sachets (e.g. containing salt, pepper or tomato sauce)
• Individually packaged chocolates and sweets
• All balloons indoor and outdoor (including helium and water balloons)
• Single-use decorations (such as glitter, party poppers and streamers)

Category 3 items are suggested additional items to consider phasing out - with no date listed.

These include:

• Soft plastic packaging
• Kitchen supplies (synthetic chux cloths, microfibre cloths, plastic scrubbers)
• Merchandise and promotional items
• Single-use event infrastructure

The draft policy allows for blanket exemptions for health and safety, accessibility, emergencies and public safety (no approval required).

Conditional exemptions (approval required) may be allowed where there is a lack of viable alternatives, where there is existing agreements in place, or where items could be captured via established collection and recycling programs.

To ensure a smooth transition, this policy would be rolled out in phases over five years from 2026-2030. Each year officers will actively engage with different affected user groups—working closely with them to provide guidance, address challenges and discuss exemptions where necessary. This will allow clubs, groups and organisers extensive time to prepare and implement these changes. Rolling out to different groups each year will not only allow for targeted support for different user groups but will enable us to share learnings during implementation from previous years to show what worked and what didn’t. By 2030, the policy will be fully implemented, with measures in place to ensure compliance.

We have also developed a draft Single-Use Items and Packaging Guide to assist in this process.

Tell us what you think!

We want to hear from any individuals, groups and clubs who use Council facilities or attend events on Council land.

The feedback you provide will be reviewed and considered, before Council considers adoption of the draft policy.

Click the 'follow' button at the top of the page to stay up to date with this project.

If you would like a hard copy of the survey posted to you, please contact Council on 5261 0600 or info@surfcoast.vic.gov.au

The survey closes Friday 4 July 2025.

Online community information sessions:

Two online community information sessions will be held via Zoom on the following dates:

• Wednesday 11 June 6pm - 7pm
• Thursday 19 June 12pm - 1pm

Click on the button below to register.